Volunteers are the driving force behind our local foodbanks and our new community space, The Bridge. We spoke to Rebecca, a regular volunteer at The Bridge, about her experience of volunteering in our local community.

Q. What inspired you to volunteer at The Bridge?

A couple of years ago, my friend volunteered for the Walton & Hersham Foodbank when he was made redundant from his job, and he told me about all the positive things they are doing. It made me want to get involved.

I am passionate about helping at The Bridge. We get a lot of young families referred to us so, as a mum, it’s lovely to share parenting tips with each other. I also feel like The Bridge gives families more choice and control during, what can be, a difficult time.

Q. Why do you make time to volunteer?

I am currently on a sabbatical from work. I’ve taken a break from a stressful job in London to spend more time with my family. During that time, I wanted to give some structure and meaning to my time off and I also want to give back to my local community.

While I’m primarily based at The Bridge, I also help the Walton & Hersham Foodbank at St. Johns Church when they need extra help.

Q. Tell me more about the people you meet while volunteering

Mostly our clients want a safe and confidential space to talk to someone about the issues they are facing. More and more people who never thought they would need to use a foodbank are finding themselves relying on one. Many people and families rely entirely on the food they collect and cannot afford to top it up with anything else.

Q. What about the families you meet at The Bridge?

The cost-of-living crisis has hit everyone and some people that would otherwise never have turned to a charity for help are being referred to us. For example, some of our clients are self-employed and some are on maternity leave. Without a regular income, they can’t afford to buy food.

Some of the people who come here are working long hours in professional roles and are taking on more hours to earn money, but their wages still don’t cover the bills coming in.

We often see families with older children who can’t afford to move out, so in effect they have six adults in the house to feed. One client said, “I’ve worked all my life and never thought I would be in this position”.

We are here to provide a listening ear and practical support for everyone who is referred to us. It’s lovely to see some of the parents attend yoga sessions that we now offer at The Bridge. It’s a chance for them to take time out and relax. Our lovely yoga teacher, Hanna, volunteers so it’s free of charge.

Q. How does The Bridge work?

Families are referred to us by local organisations and we commit to supporting them for a period of 12 weeks. During that time, they can come to The Bridge on a fortnightly basis for food and other support. By the end of the 12-weeks we hope they feel confident knowing who to go to for specialist support (eg, debt advice) and feel ready to take the next steps towards getting back on their feet. Organisations like Citizens Advice, Lifelong Learning and Spurgeons also hold regular support sessions at The Bridge which is really helpful.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering at the foodbank or The Bridge, please email Walton & Hersham Foodbank info@waltonhersham.foodbank.org.uk.

We know that education is an important route out of poverty, but often children in low-income families face extra challenges reaching their potential at school. Last year, we awarded £47,000 in community grants to support disadvantaged pupils across Elmbridge to access catch up programmes and support with their emotional and mental health.

One grant, to Three Rivers Academy, will fund construction skills training for students that will help to engage them not only in these specific activities, but their other curriculum subjects. The grant, of just over £9,000, will enable SATRO to work with 10 students on a weekly basis for a year. Students participating will also been entered for accredited qualifications at the end of their Year 10 and Year 11 courses.

SATRO’s tutors have experience in both the construction industry and education, and are keen to inspire a new generation to enter the construction industry. Their mobile classroom brings all the tools, equipment and materials needed for each session. Students will also be able to attend SATRO’s newly launched Construction Festival which will give them an insight into careers in the industry.

“Oli has successfully gained an electrical apprenticeship to start in September. They were particularly impressed when he shared his SATRO portfolio of work at interview as they don’t usually recruit at his age.”

Read more about our work with schools across Elmbridge – including our Opportunities Funding for local schools here.

At Walton Charity we believe in making our land and green spaces available for local people and community groups to enjoy.

Our community allotment on Terrace Road, Walton, welcomes children from local schools to come along and learn more about nature, growing and where our food comes from. Monkey Puzzle Nursery and Pre-School are the newest group to join these outdoor classroom sessions.

The nursery has started a programme of weekly sessions, giving pre-schoolers the opportunity to experience and enjoy being outdoors. Through exploration and discovery, they learn about nature and the need to protect and respect it. On World Kindness Day the children each picked produce from the allotment and made a cake for their families.

The outdoor classroom sessions have been such a big hit that the nursery will be increasing the visits and our Green Spaces Manager, Karen, will be planning more interactive sessions for the children to enjoy.

We are also pleased that Monkey Puzzle have pledged to support our Stripey Stork Christmas Appeal, ensuring more children across Elmbridge have the Christmas they deserve.

To find out more about getting involved in our community allotment contact Karen (greenspaces@waltoncharity.org.uk).

Living in an almshouse can boost the longevity of its residents by as much as two-and-a-half years compared to their counterparts in the general population, according to a new Bayes Business School report.

Analysing up to 100 years’ worth of resident records from various almshouses in England, the research suggests that living in these communities can reduce the negative impact on health and social wellbeing, particularly for those who are living in isolation.

The results show that, for several of the almshouses included in the study, residents can expect to live as long as wealthier members of the general population despite coming from the most deprived quintile.

Walton Charity has two almshouses in Elmbridge - Mayfield and Fenner House - both offering accommodation for people aged over 55s. Fenner House celebrates its 40 year anniversary this year and many of their residents are testament to the findings of this report.

Doreen Hardwick, who is 91 years of age and a resident of Fenner House, describes herself as a Londoner but after many years living in a cold flat in Sutton, her son urged her to move near to his home in Walton on Thames. Being closer to her son, two grandchildren and four great grandchildren, she has never looked back. She says she is extremely happy at Fenner House, describing her flat as cozy and warm and the staff as excellent. Doreen is hard to catch indoors though, as she’s usually out and about catching a bus to Kingston or Brooklands to do her shopping or meeting up with her family.

Walton Charity believes that everyone should have a safe, comfortable place to live, and we work with local partners to help achieve this. A community grant of £15,000 to the Molesey Churches Night Shelter helped to fund emergency accommodation for homeless people in Elmbridge over the winter months.    

The shelter, at St Peters Church Youth and Community Hub in West Molesey, opened at the beginning of December 2022 and stayed open every night until the end of March 2023. As well as a warm place to sleep, it offered a first step to finding permanent housing solutions for the 15 guests who attended over the four-month period.  

Supported by the night shelter manager, Amy Burton, Rentstart’s Bridge the Gap initiative and a team of volunteers, night shelter guests could start to rebuild their lives and begin the process of moving into permanent accommodation.   

“The night shelter saved my life. I've been on the streets for 30+ years and if it wasn't for one of the staff members there, continually supporting me, I would still be on the streets. She never gave up on me and showed me how important it was for my health to give up street life and take up a permanent home. She continues to support me as my Bridge the Gap worker. She is my guardian angel".”

Dave, night shelter guest

* Bridge the Gap is a pilot programme in partnership with Surrey County Council supporting adults experiencing multiple disadvantages, including homelessness, substance use, domestic abuse, mental health issues and contact with the criminal justice system. 

Yassin, a student at Three Rivers Academy, joined the Walton Charity team for a week of work experience.

Students from the Academy were offered placements at a variety of workplaces and we were delighted that Yassin chose to join us to learn about the varied roles within our multi-faceted charity.

We asked Yassin to reflect on the week and tell us about his experience.

Why did you choose to do your work experience with Walton Charity?

I chose the charity because I like helping people.

When I’ve finished school, ideally, I would like to work in construction and own my own company like my grandfather did back in Poland. That’s my dream.

You’ve covered a variety of roles within the charity. Tell us what you did.

My first day was spent meeting Rob Mills, Chief Executive, and learning more about the work of the charity in the local community. I also attended meetings and spent time looking at the Charity’s social media posts.

On Tuesday, I was down at the community allotment in Terrace Road, Walton.

Wednesday was spent sorting food at the Walton & Hersham Foodbank’s warehouse in the morning and in the afternoon, I worked with the Communications team. They are planning a children’s book hunt during the summer holidays, hiding 100 books around Elmbridge for children and young people to find. The themes of the books are around the five key issues that Walton Charity focuses on. I spent some time prepping the books for the hunt and helping the team with some branding and research tasks.

I went to The Bridge on Thursday. This is the charity’s newest project, which is based in Bridge Street, Walton. It’s a community space which offers support for families who are struggling with the rising cost of living. I helped the volunteers by stocking the shelves and I met three families who had been referred to The Bridge.

It really opened my eyes. I just didn’t realise there are pockets all around me where people are really struggling, it should be brought to the attention of the public more.

On Friday, I was based at Mayfield where the maintenance team has a workshop. The team showed me around their workshop and showed me how the tools work. I made some shelves and shelving supports for the shed at the community allotment. They were a great team to work with.

I also helped to organise a tea party for the residents of Mayfield and I got to chat with them. There were about 10-15 of them and all were lovely. They have a piano in their lounge, so I played some music, which they seemed to really enjoy.

Which roles did you particularly enjoy?

I enjoyed my day helping at the community allotment and working with the maintenance team at Mayfield. Both were good as they involved working with my hands.

Any final thoughts on your work experience week?

I thoroughly enjoyed it and if I could do it again, I would. I would recommend Walton Charity to other Three Rivers students.

It was lovely to have Yassin join us at the community allotment. He joined in, chatting and supporting our participants, as well as taking on some projects himself. He helped to create a new pathway and fix climbing supports for two new creepers. A great addition to the team for the day!

Karen Heynike, Walton Charity Green Spaces Manager

If your company is interested in helping local students to learn about career options, please contact Three Rivers Academy.

Our two independent living schemes, Fenner House and Mayfield, offer accommodation for people aged over 55 who want to live in a safe and caring environment.

Our residents are part of life’s rich tapestry and many of them have a huge number of interests and hobbies.

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Meet Rita…..

Rita has been a resident at Mayfield for about 8 years now and during that time she has participated in many of the activities provided for our residents. On Friday mornings, Rita can be found at Shooting Star’s shop in Shepperton where she volunteers, sorting, steaming and pricing the clothing donations.

Rita also volunteers for Molesey Musical Theatre, making and altering costumes. Ahead of productions, her flat is a hive of activity with all manner of dressmaking material carefully laid across her carpet and furniture. Often, these productions involve multiple costume changes, so Rita can be found backstage working against the clock to alter costumes.

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Meet Carol…..

Another Mayfield resident, Carol has lived there with her husband for four years. A hairdresser by trade, Carol found herself revisiting her love of art during the pandemic. Art has long been used to improve mental health and wellbeing and Carol found that painting really helped her cope with the isolation that many of us felt during lockdown. She particularly enjoys the art classes run by our talented member of staff, Liz.

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Meet Sharon…..

Sharon has been a resident at Fenner House for almost 20 years. She finds creative projects therapeutic and rewarding and spends hours knitting scarves, fingerless gloves and hats, which she donates to homeless charities such as Helping Hands, the Salvation Army and Rentstart. Every year Sharon sends around 230 hats to good causes.

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Meet Gerald…..

Gerald is a keen photographer and has been since he was 8 years old. Using the skills he learnt from his father, Gerald went on to work for the BBC. Nowadays, he enjoys being out and about in Elmbridge with his camera and has built up a catalogue of beautiful photographs.

“It is such a lovely building, and it has everything that anyone could ever want here. We are very proud”

— Jean Rigden, Elmbridge Mencap

Burview Hall on Queen’s Road, Hersham has been home to Elmbridge Mencap for the past 56 years. Mencap use the hall to run regular activities and social clubs for people with learning disabilities and their families. Their Family Fun sessions are particularly popular, providing a great opportunity for local families to meet and socialise.

Burview Hall is one of Walton Charity’s community properties which provide affordable space for local charities and community organisations. The original building was owned by Elmbridge Mencap and stood on our land for 33 years but in 2000 the building was demolished to make room for a new purpose-built hall, twice the size of the original building.

The large hall can now accommodate up to 100 people and is regularly used for sports and other activities. The two sensory rooms provide a relaxing space and are often used by stroke patients and people with dementia.

The Day Service, run by Elmbridge Mencap, offers people who visit Burview Hall a chance to try activities such as gardening, cookery, arts and crafts, teaching new skills and encouraging independent living. The sensory garden, which opened last year, offers a safe and colourful space for people of all ages, and the raised planters ensure everyone can get involved in growing plants and vegetables.

Elmbridge Mencap does not receive financial support from Mencap at a national level, so relies on local fundraising and donations. Jean Rigden, one of the driving forces behind Elmbridge Mencap, has seen lots of changes at Burview Hall over the years but is proud of the building and outdoor space now available to local families:

To find out more about Elmbridge Mencap’s activities, contact Jean on 01932 221304 or e mail info@elmbridgemencap.org.uk

School uniforms can bring a school community together and help children to feel they belong, but they can also put financial pressure on families. 

In April 2021, the government passed The Cost of School Uniform Act requiring schools to make their uniforms affordable for everyone. At a time when living costs are spiralling, cutting the cost of school uniforms is a welcome opportunity to help struggling families.

According to The Children’s Society Wrong Blazer Report, parents with children in state maintained schools spend on average £337 a year on school uniform for secondary school pupils, and £315 a year for primary school children.

Through our partnerships with local schools, Walton Charity is supporting children from low-income families with equipment, uniform and shoes for school. Over the past two years, we have given out more than £30,000 in grants to help local families with the cost of school uniforms.

For Lynn Williams, Headteacher at Chandlers Field School, it is small changes that can make a big difference to the cost of uniforms. Selling iron-on badges rather than branded items brings down the cost of school jumpers and cardigans, and offering a free uniform exchange helps to reduce cost and waste.

“Many of the ideas for initiatives at the school come from the children themselves. Our Uniform Exchange not only helps families to access free uniform it also encourages recycling and cuts down on waste which is important to our school.”

Offering iron-on badges for blazers also helps to keep costs down for pupils at Three Rivers Academy. Making jumpers optional if blazers are worn gives families more choice and is one less compulsory item to buy.

As part of the guidance from the Department for Education, schools are encouraged to keep branded items to a minimum and give parents a choice about where they buy clothing. Schools are also encouraged to make second-hand uniform available and ensure parents know how to donate and buy pre-loved uniform.

Research by MyNametages, shows that 1.4 million wearable school uniforms are thrown away each year in the UK. At Hurst Park Primary School, dedicated Uniform Coordinator roles on the school’s PTA ensures that pre-loved uniform is readily available for families. The volunteer coordinators are responsible for organising termly uniform sales and taking online orders throughout the year.

“Although we believe uniform is important for our school identity we want to do what we can to make our policy inclusive. As well as having a thriving second-hand uniform offering, we have recently changed our PE kit in response to the new guidelines and feedback from parents. Changing to plain black joggers and plain t-shirts will make it easier for parents to buy items at a more reasonable price. We are also phasing in the changes so there is no pressure for families to go out and buy new items straight away.”

Putting affordability and best value at the core of a school uniform policy has the potential to make life easier for children and parents or carers.

Find out more about the new school uniform guidance and how you can help your school make positive changes to its uniform policy here www.childrenssociety.org.uk/cut-the-cost.

If you live in Elmbridge and need help covering the cost of school uniforms, find out more about Walton Charity funding.

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Cost of School Uniform guidance

The new Government guidance says schools should:

• Prioritise cost and value for money when setting uniform policy.

• Engage with parents and pupils when developing their uniform policy.

• Keep the number of branded items to a minimum.

• Ensure second-hand uniform is easily available.

• Make the uniform policy clear and easy to access for parents.

• Ensure uniform suppliers are good value for money and avoid relying on single-suppliers where possible.

For almost 10 years, Nick Stuart has served as a trustee of Walton Charity. As he comes to the end of his term, Nick reflects on some of his most memorable moments and just how much change the charity has seen over the past decade.

“I was driven by the fact that local poverty seemed to be getting worse and this was a great opportunity to give back and use my past experience to benefit the charity.”

— Nick Stuart

From biscuits to Board papers...

I first became a trustee at Walton Charity in 2012 after retiring from United Biscuits. I had spent 32 years working in various roles, including marketing, sales and communications and saw the opportunity of becoming a trustee as a great way to use the skills that I had learnt in business to support my local community.

Nick Stuart, (man on left) visiting the KT One Two football project, supported by Walton Charity

I must admit, I did have a degree of trepidation when I took over the role of Chair in 2018 from David Nash, who sadly died. However, I was driven by the fact that the local issues of poverty seemed to be getting worse and this was a great opportunity to give back and use my past experience to benefit the charity.

Shifting priorities and fighting weeds...

Selling our then care home, Sherwood House, represented a step-change for Walton Charity. It freed up time to focus on our core areas such as supporting more local people to have a better standard of living, signposting them for help, and improving our independent living and allotment sites.

I can vividly recall a visit to our largest allotment site in Terrace Road where, literally, one third of the land had turned into a dumping ground. Not only was it an eyesore, but such a waste as we had demand from local people looking for space to grow their own food.

Our Green Spaces Manager, Karen, was tasked with clearing the land. Not only did she achieve that, but she created a Community Allotment where people from all walks of life can come together, socialise and learn new skills.

It’s great to see local people who feel isolated, or who face barriers because of their mental or physical health, joining in regular outdoor activities in an area that was once covered in weeds!

Opening the doors of Charities House...

In 2018, we purchased two adjacent buildings in central Walton to be used for office space and meeting rooms for local charities. We knew there was a growing need for affordable long-term accommodation for smaller charities and we are pleased that today Charities House is home to fantastic local organisations like Home-Start Elmbridge and North West Surrey Samaritans.

Another highlight, this year, was opening the doors of our latest project – The Bridge, a new community space offering practical support for Elmbridge families struggling with the rising cost of living.

Working in partnership...

Working together is something that all of us at Walton Charity agree is the way forward. We can achieve so much more if we work in partnership with other organisations and can support so many more local people. It’s been great to see many new partnerships formed over the years.

A final word....

I believe that there have been some great ideas which have come to fruition due to the hard work and dedication of the charity’s staff and as a result of the trust that our Board of Trustees has in the staff team.

As I prepare for my final Board meeting, I feel a sense of quiet pride to have been part of these changes that I have seen at Walton Charity.

“The Tuesday hub is all about community. It’s a safe place for everyone to feel welcome. It’s about encouragement and friendship, and there is good coffee and homemade cake!”

— Cathy Wise, community café volunteer

Walton Charity supports projects that reduce isolation and help people feel more connected to their community. Our Community Grant of £2,500 helped St Nicholas’ Church in Thames Ditton to set up their Talbot House Café - a new community café for anyone in the local area looking for support or a friendly ear. The café started with a grant to buy a coffee machine for the church, but the vision was always that it would become a community hub for Thames Ditton and that has certainly been achieved.

The Talbot House Café is open on Tuesday mornings and is a partnership between St Philip’s School (a local school for children with special educational needs), the East Elmbridge Foodbank, and St. Nicholas’ Church. The café is run by the students from the school and, with the help of volunteers from the church and the foodbank, Year 11 students are offered work experience*, learning new skills and building their confidence.

The Thames Ditton Foodbank (part of the East Elmbridge Foodbank) run a session at the café on Tuesday mornings, providing 3-days' worth of emergency food to local people who are struggling financially, and a warm, welcoming place to meet for a chat over a cup of coffee and a slice of home-made cake. Volunteers can also signpost people to receive more specific help, with a Citizens Advice debt adviser on hand to offer practical advice.

The thriving ‘knit and natter’ group also meet at the café on Tuesdays; and every fortnight, a volunteer runs a pre-loved clothing stall.

* Only 5.1% of adults with a learning disability known to their local authority in England are in paid work (NHS Digital, 2021).

Thanks to funding from the Trussell Trust, Citizens Advice Elmbridge West (CAEW) are expanding their services to Walton & Hersham Foodbank locations, offering one-to-one financial advice sessions for people attending the foodbank.

The grant of £54,000 over three years, will fund experienced debt and benefit advisers to attend three sessions a week, at St John’s and St Andrew’s churches in Walton and St Peter’s church in Hersham. The advisers will offer support to people who may not be accessing Citizens Advice services through traditional routes.

The rising cost of living is increasing pressure on households and there has been an upsurge in people seeking help from Citizens Advice and local foodbanks. Similarly, advice on managing energy debts has reached unprecedented heights. The advisers will work with directly with clients, helping them manage their finances and make sure they are receiving all the support they are entitled to. 

Margaret Bourne, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Elmbridge West said:

“It has been very successful to reach out to those in our community who may not have normally accessed our service. We hope that we can help and advise more people at the earliest opportunity, to avoid escalation of the issues people are facing.”

Nina Malyon, Walton & Hersham Foodbank Manager said:

“We are delighted to have received this grant and be working in partnership with Citizens Advice to enable foodbank clients to easily access money advice. We want to look to a future when people won’t need to use foodbanks and this is a helpful step towards that.”